Process of and apparatus for atomizing metals, &amp;c.



I J. M. NE1L. PROCESS of AND APARATUS PoR ATOMIZING METALS, aw.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.12, 1911. f 1,036,689, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

3 SHEBTSSHBET 1.

James MA/ezl ',f, f @M J. M. NEIL.

PROCESS. OP AND APPARATUS POP ATOMIZING METALS, Aw.

APPLICATION FILED 11120.12, 1911.

SHEET z.

. @woef/Ufo@ fmes MII/ell Jig* J. M. NEIL.

PROCESS OP AND APPARATUS POR ATOMIZING METALS, Aw. APPLIOATION FILED DEolz, 1911.

1936,689. Patented A111312?, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

www l 31A/ue 142601,

Y failles MII/@z2 w' v 1099 gm a @tto/wmp Janes mmm NE1L, Toscano, ONTARIO.- CANADA.

Pnocnss or .ann APPARATUS son. AToMIzI'NG METALS, ae. A

Z `Specification of Letters ZPatent.

i Patented Aug. 27,' i912.

lApplication =1ed December 12, 1911. Serial No. 665,229.

`To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MlLLAR NEIL, of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Ontario, Dominion'of Canada, have invented certain .new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Atomizing Metals, 8vo.; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactl description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention 1s a novel process of, and apparatus for, atomizing metals, etc., or in other words, reducing them to an extremely fine powdery or loury condition. n

One of the princi-pal objects of my invention isto enable metals, such as lead, zinc, etc., to be converted from a molten condition into impalpable powder Without oxidation thereof, and without the necessity of performing the atomizing operations with the exclusion of air, or Within a chamber containing inert gases.

The invention consists broadly in atomizing metals, etc., which have been lreduced tol a molten or fused state by means of a blast or jet of air, gas or steam, under pressure, and at a temperature equal fto and preferably. higher than the melting point-of the metal or material being treated; suchblast being directed against a minute stream or jet of the molten metal whereby lthe latter is disintegrated, dissipated, or dispersed in .an extremely line powdery or ioury .condition by the superheated blast; and the m1- vnute particles of the metal-or material solidi-fy vbefore the oxygen in the air, 'steam or atmosphere has any appreciable effect thereupon. In practice for example, I am`able"` to reduce lead or zinc 'to a floury lor atom 'ized condition by my .process without an appreciable loss by oxidation; and the lead or zinc, thus reduced to a very finely divided .metallic non-oxidized form, is of great value for use in the arts; being particularly useful in cyaniding processes for the recovery of the precious metals.

yI will explain my process more in detail `in connection with the at present preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the process; which apparatus is illustrated ,in

-the accompanying drawings, in which-l Figure 1 is a partial vertical section through such apparatus showing the atomizer in elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse hori- Fig. 1.

.material 2a' ble `in a lmolten coils 4,' one end of Apressure icanEe-'conducted tocoilfe OFFICE." f

z'ontal section on line 242,' Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is f a transverse horizontal section on line 3'3,

4 is an enlarged 'horizontal section throuv Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section onl line 5-5, Fig. 4. 'f

As shown in the drawings: the apparatus comprises a crucible 1y which is sus nded within a furnace 2 which may be ormed of a met-a1 cylinder lined with refractory ;and-th'is furnace may be "heated in any suitable or desired manner. As shown I have provided a hydrocarbon burner 3 attached to fthe side ofthe furnace and` adapted to supply oil lor Agas thereto, `the blast of burning oil or gas enters the .furnace beneath the retortl vthrough an opening 2* in the-side of the furnace. .The waste productsof combustion can escape from the furnace through :an outlet 2. The Crucible 1 is 'adapted to' contain the atonnzed, such as lead, zine, etc., and it is connected at bottom with aneduction tube 1B which may be formed -i'n -agrfmetal-casting 1l" which supports the crucible 1, and said tubeby reason of its :location 'in the furnace, 'will be highly heated land maintain the vmetaldescending thereinto .from .tl1e.cruci-" Tducts,the-molten metal to the atomiaer 'here- 'inaft'er referred to.

Preferably -the furnace 2- is upon -a similarly .constructed furnace f 2X which .may .be 'heated Vin any sui-table way; but preferablylby a hydrocarbon fburner 3*.

supported condition. This .tube coni l the atomizer head on line 3 3,

metal to be in this 'furnace 2" vis 4a Tsz'iperheating coi-l .or'v

Which is connected 'to a at high from any Asuitable source {(.fnat shown) :the supply being .regulated by' valve 4*. Inal of coil t 1s connected to apipev-" which .pipe 4 :by which air, steam' or gas,

conducts .the superheated Huid .to theatomizer, ,-hereixiafter referred to. 1A draincock 1*?:isconne'ctedto'the pipe e" and thelatter is provided with a' regulating valve 4d; When'this apparatus is' y .the metal can be 'reduced to molten condition in thecrucible .and duct, and .the atomizing agent or 'fluid can beheatedinthe furf. The-.other rtermi- Properly operating nace 2 .to a temperature equaltopr ref-f erably slightly greater than Apoint of the metal ybeing treated.

I propose to provide the apparatuslwith pyrometers (not shown) by which the-temthef. me ting` f has a shank??A `perature of the molten metal anddof theatomizing agent can be readily determined.

The atomizer consists of ahollow metal body or head 5., preferably' having a rightangled duct one ond of which duct is connected to the eduction tube 1'?, as shown v in Fig. 4; andthe other end of theduct 5a connected with the duct but l:movable plug 5S.

is preferably closed by a'removable threaded plug 5b. In the wall of the head directly opposite the eduction tabel* is an 'opening lclosed by a re-` aceess can behad to the interior of the head if it shouldl becomegnecessa'ryt clean the same; In the upper side of duct 5, 'adjacent the plug 5*?, 4is an.4 opening closed .by a

e preferably threaded' nipple 6, which nipple 'has 'a fiat hextd,'preferably1 polygonal, in

Aso

, be' removed to of the lnozzle when molten metal enters Vwhich is a preferably-thin and wide aperture 6 which communicates ,with a larger bore 16bin the plug, which bore communicates'with the duct 5* in the'head 5:' so that the head .it will rise `through the nipplesand jet or'fexudev through the aperture 6L onto the headfofthe nipple. The exuding molten metal .is flat tened out upon the Vsurface'of thenipple' headin a thin sheet or film and then'fim-V mediately thrown' olf air or gas. forcibly As shown thegfno'zzl'e consists of ahollow aperture 7l jet opening 7* 4 allowaccess to the ntrio to cleanse the .jet-'open The/nozzle is connected withthef'oile so that the vsuperheated fluid is suDpll difY rectlyfto the nozzle' from the-coildffThe,

4 may bei connected fin different Ways.; As shownthe `noz7 le 'I rests upon a slotted'ange 5 projecting-from', the head adjacentjthe nipple- 6': 'andtlie' nozzle engaging' the.fslot5f`in the nozzlef and head wherekadjusted.; vThe head and nozzle Vareso adjustedfand'po# sitionedfthat* as' .the molten [metal exudes fromjlie head through-the apeitu'ref';L` it` is A'struck bythe-atomizng agent'i'ssuing from l h 1g er than,

the aperture?, and, is satema: out

'in a powder, likeflour-.

'least equal to;A jand preferably' being tret; and

-. By, removing said vplugsthe headlanali'dissifl pated in atomized condition by V'meansfof a- Aiet of superheated steam,

issuing from a nozzle connected4 VW it'h-ithe v `superheating coil Il. l

' head 7fhavin'gfajjet; in one end; and back ofthe..v is a screw plug 7 Hwhich'f'can finely v'divided' to supply the atomizing jet at this temperature. -'As a result of this essential feature of the process, the metal is latomized and solidiies before oxidation can occur.

v By my process the metals can be atomized or nely subdivided without the necessity vof surrounding the atomizer with de-oXyformed in the open air.- extremely fine powdery condition to which the meta-l,w is instantly reduced vby my process suitable'- means should be provided for catching and collecting the atomized metal.

By this process and apparatus a large `quantity of metal can be reduced to powder very rapidly and eiliciently Without oxidation; and the invention is particularly useful for treating ductile metals, such as lead,

nary grinding 01 Stamping processesand ap. paratus. Y,

"1ry,1.apparatus is thatthe: molten .metal issues Aupwardly through the aperture 6., and remains at the y 'mouth of .the aperture-until z-itiissubjected to the full force of the` atomliziug agent; which is preferably directed a jet substantially` at right-angles to the -sov adjusted'l-,that ast-he molten metal exudes ontqtli'e headthrough the aperture 6, it is struck: the jet of atomizing agentissuing -ffrom-tliea'perture .'Z and is forced: or vHattenedouteinthej-Hrst,instance into anI eX-V 'tremelynesheetor film 'on the head, which sans pcwaesiike aan While itl-is possible *y onrii'wieg,alQdown; fjWardlyfy directed jet'ofmetallb better results f are i obtained '-b vvj-metal;u-pys'fardly, asfdeScrib of jf metal :remains jgp fcriml yher'easifi the metalf is', delivered ja' i .downwardly directed j et -it myapparatus-theme? exudes melt-and'- ,rsmains vin andi gentlrleproehs:the-.Path -Ofthe' atomizing=jet.;a 'nd .'ang"}'atomizing 'ag' nt against `tl1e'.;exudi.ng`

ing'meta'lm a-.lm l dissipate the metaloi said surface, substantially asset forth.

the melting point 'ofthe metalthe apparatus.' is adapted Y 2. The herein process of atomizgenated gases; as my process can'be'pen' But because of thev which cannot :'be comminuted by theY ordi'v 'pathk ofthe exudingr metal; and the jet is.

Another import-ant'"practical feature of" irectingthe i sithestreamx racticall'y unir v its the`dSaYeiite-f geous elfects 'cfr-coherence 4.and gravity on a' y directed? jet-Tof? moltenlfn'ie'tal 12( 1.y The herein described"'proces,S'of'atorizmet-al, etc., consisting-in eiudingmlten fiat surface and' directing. aI -forcible'vblast of I molten metal so as to first' Hatten the exud- 1- on said surface and ythen ing metals, consisting in causing the molten metaltoow upwardly through va suitable aperture and slmultaneously directing an atomizing agent forcibly against the exuding molten metal, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein described process of atomizing metals, consisting in causing the molten" lerture adapted to dlrect a jet of an atomizmetal to exude upwardly through a suitable aperture, and simultaneously directing a forcible blast of an atomizing fluid, super-l heated to a temperature approximating the 4melting point of the molten metal, against the exuding molten metal, substantially as set forth.

4. An apparatus for atomizing metals,

" comprising means for melting the metal to f be atomized, an upwardly directed outlet for the molten metal, means for directing the molten metal to s aid outlet, means for superheating an atomizing agent, and means for directin such agent against the metal as it exudes rom said outlet, substantially as described. i s v 5. Inapparatus for atomizing metals, etc.,

means for melting the metal to be atomized; a head having an upwardlydirected outlet for the molten metal, means for directing the molten metal to said outlet; and means for directing a jet of superheated atomizing uld against the exuding metal as it exudes through said outlet, whereby the metal is first flattened out on the head and then forced off the head in a finely divided state,

, substantially as described.

6. An apparatus for atomizing metals,

v etc., comprising means for melting themetal to be atomized; a head having an upwardly ,directed outlet for the molten metal; means for directing the molten metal to said outlet; means for superheating an atomizing fluid; and means for directing a jet of such fluid against thenietal as it exudes from said outlet, substant-ially as described.

7. In apparatus-for atomizing metals, etc.,

a head having a duct, and an upwardly directed outlet for the molten metal; a nozzle beside the metal outlet Ladapted to direct a jet of an atomizing iiuid against the molten metal as it exudes from said outlet; means for melting metal and conducting same to the duct in the head; means for superheating an atomizing Huid to a temperature equal to or above the melting point of the duct, a nipple on said head having an up.,- i

Awardly directed outlet for the molten metal,

and a nozzle beside the nipple having an aping agent against the moltenA metal as it exudes from the outlet; with means for conducting the vmolten metal to the duct in the head; and means'for superheating such atomizing agent to a temperature equal to or above the melting point of the metal being treated, and directing same to the nozzle.

9. The herein described apparatus for atomizing met-als, etc., comprisin a furnace, a crucible therein, an eduction tu e in the crucible; a head connected with said tube and having an -upwardly directed outlet aperture for the molten metal; with means lfor superhe'ating an atomizing {iuid to a temperature nozzle attached to the head adjacent the outlet thereof adapted to direct a jet of-such superheated iuid against the molten metal as it exudes from the outlet; and connections between the nozzle and the superheater, substantially as described. 1G. The herein described apparatus for atomizing metals, etc., comprising a furnace, a crucible therein, an eduction tube leading from the crucible to the atomizer head; a head' connected with said tube; and a nipple connected to said head having an upwardly. directed outlet for the molten metal; with means for superheating an atomizing fluid to a temperature equal to or above that of the molten nietal; a nozzle adjustably attached to the atomizer headadjacent the outlet thereof adapted to direct a jet of such superheated fluid against the molten metal as it exudes from the outlet, and connections between the nozzle and the superheater, substantially as described.

In testimony that I'claim'the foregoing as my own, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'JAMES MILLAn NE1L.

Witnesses JAMES R. MANSFIELD, WM. M. ALEXANDER.

75 equal to or above that of the molten metal, a 

